"First Hokage-sama! Second Hokage-sama!" Despair filled the cries of the remaining shinobi. No one had expected that even their two strongest warriors would fall.
"Damn it!"
"Are we really just supposed to stand here and wait for death?!" Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground, her face contorted in helpless fury.
"What about Deidara and Jiraiya?" she demanded.
"Deidara is still battling the Evil God, and Jiraiya-sama is locked in combat with Moryō. They likely don't have the strength to handle the Grim Reaper here as well," Kakashi replied.
Of course, there was one thing he didn't say out loud—neither of those battles were guaranteed victories.
The power of the Old Gods was evident in the Grim Reaper standing before them. It was overwhelming. To those who were mere mortals, the strength of a being on the level of the Six Paths was nothing short of absolute devastation.
"Then... isn't it all over?" Asuma muttered dejectedly. To him, the Grim Reaper before them was an unbeatable force.
And it wasn't just him—nearly everyone still standing shared the same hopeless thought.
"No! It's too early to say that!"
A resolute voice rang out. It belonged to Might Guy, clad in his signature green jumpsuit. For once, his expression was completely serious.
"Guy! You—" Kakashi's face twisted in shock. Given how dire the situation was, he had already prepared himself for this possibility. But seeing his closest friend step forward like this still sent a pang of sorrow through him.
Even with the transplanted cells of the First Hokage, there was only a chance—just a chance—that Guy might survive what he was about to do.
"Kakashi, don't be sad."
"Now is the time to risk my life to protect what is precious. The time for the Blue Beast of Konoha has passed. Now, I shall become the Red Beast!"
Might Guy leaped forward, standing at the forefront of the battlefield. He reached for his green vest, fingers undoing the buttons one by one.
"The Seventh Gate! Gate of Wonder... OPEN!"
A powerful force erupted from his body, sending dust and debris flying in all directions. The green chakra aura surrounding him shifted into a vibrant blue steam.
"The Eight Gates? But even that won't be enough, right?" Asuma had seen the sheer power Guy commanded in the Seventh Gate before. It was undeniably strong—but defeating the Grim Reaper? That still seemed impossible.
Even the First Hokage had lost.
"No! Asuma, what you're about to witness... is the final gate of the Eight Gates." Kakashi's voice was solemn.
Only he truly understood how terrifying Guy would become upon opening the final gate.
But the cost was too great. That was why, even as they had watched so many of their comrades fall, they had held back—because this trump card had to be used at the most critical moment.
"The final gate... just how strong is it?" Asuma asked, uncertain.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before answering, "It may be disrespectful to say this, but once Guy opens the Eighth Gate, he will surpass even the First Hokage."
Before Asuma could process the weight of that statement, Guy's voice rang out once more.
"Eight Gates Formation... OPEN!"
The blue steam surrounding him instantly turned crimson. His hair, his eyebrows—everything was dyed a deep, blood-red.
With his unyielding expression and overwhelming presence, he truly resembled a war god bathed in blood. The sheer force of his killing intent made the battlefield tremble.
"This is insane!" A Hyūga clan member gasped. His Byakugan could see it—inside Guy's body roared a chakra even greater than the First Hokage's. Compared to him now, even the Tailed Beasts seemed like mere insects.
"Now then... here I go!"
With a sudden burst of speed, Might Guy took two steps forward before ascending into the air. Incredibly, he was running on nothing but air itself.
Even the Grim Reaper couldn't hide its astonishment. Moving through the air like this—how much speed and power would one need to accomplish such a feat?
"Evening Elephant!"
Guy's attacks were never flashy, but that didn't mean they weren't devastating. Every strike was the culmination of years upon years of relentless training.
A cylindrical shockwave of compressed air shot forward. It was so fast that even the Grim Reaper struggled to react. It instinctively attempted to shift into its spectral form, but the sheer intensity of the attack burned into its very being.
It felt like boiling oil was being poured over its entire body. A pain that reached deep into the soul—far beyond ordinary suffering.
"Damn you, mortal!" The Grim Reaper's expression twisted in agony.
It couldn't believe it—this mere human had inflicted more damage upon it than even Asura's reincarnation had.
Gritting its teeth, the Grim Reaper shot toward Guy, intent on tearing his soul from his body.
But before it could even react—
Guy appeared behind it, his speed utterly incomprehensible.
"Second Step!"
"Third Step!"
"Fourth Step!"
"Fifth Step!"
The Grim Reaper's instincts screamed at it. It couldn't keep up. Before the effects of one shockwave could fade, another landed. And another.
With each successive attack, an invisible cage of air formed around it. Its movements slowed. The blood-infused aura surrounding Guy thickened, searing into its form like it had been plunged into a cauldron of molten steel.
Desperate, the Grim Reaper activated its domain—an eerie, sickly-green space aimed at nullifying Guy's attacks.
"Guh!"
For the first time, Guy staggered slightly. Though he passed through the Grim Reaper's spectral body, his fists still tore through its essence, dealing unimaginable damage.
Yet, despite its agony, the Grim Reaper began to laugh.
"I can feel it... Your life force is fading."
"It seems that, in the end, mortals cannot defeat gods."
Yes. How could a mortal ever hope to surpass a god?
For the shinobi watching, their emotions rose and fell like a stormy sea. Even Kakashi found himself wavering.
Guy—perhaps through sheer effort, he could surpass a genius.
But he could never surpass a god.
Still, as Guy landed on the ground, breath ragged, his expression remained unwavering.
"No... I still have one final, even stronger attack!"
"What?!"
Both the Grim Reaper and the watching shinobi were stunned.
Guy paid them no mind. Every second counted now.
He bent his knees slightly, gathering all of his remaining chakra and life force into a single point.
Then, with the force of an unstoppable avalanche—he exploded forward.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (241 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)